Unless the Internal Revenue Code, Section 3301 is amended, calendar year 2011 FUTA taxes will be calculated using two tax rates; 6.2% for wages paid during January 1 – June 30; and 6.0% for wages paid during July through December 31. After the FUTA credit and absent any applicable FUTA credit reductions, the effective FUTA rates would be .8% and .6%, respectively. Should the FUTA year 2011 tax period contain two tax rates, it is unclear whether the IRS would require states to certify their state unemployment insurance tax payments for each six month period, instead of for the entire calendar year. The President’s 2012 budget does contain a provision to extend the effective FUTA tax of .8% to 2014. Whether that provision is enacted in the final budget, or when the 2012 budget is enacted would be conjecture at this point. Ref: Email originally sent by DOL Tax Chief